Bluetooth is a short range wireless communications capability that enables connection between consumer and computer equipment while eliminating wires. Equipment that is enabled to utilize Bluetooth technology may be referred to as Bluetooth devices. Bluetooth devices within a range of approximately 10 meters of each other may communicate utilizing a 2.4 gigahertz (GHz) frequency spectrum in the Industrial, Scientific and Medical (ISM) frequency band. The Bluetooth frequency spectrum comprises a range of frequencies from 2.4 GHz to 2.4835 GHz. The 2.4 GHz frequency spectrum comprises a set of 79 channels, each channel separated by 1 megahertz (MHz). The lowest frequency channel is 2.402 GHz, and the highest frequency channel is 2.48 GHz.
Examples of Bluetooth devices may comprise personal digital assistants (PDA), headsets, telephones, home audio equipment, and computers. Capabilities enabled by Bluetooth technology may comprise eliminating cables linking computers to printers, keyboards, and mouse devices, making calls from a wireless headset connected via wireless link to a wired or wireless telephone, and the playing of audio from a portable MP3 player via a home audiovisual system with no wired connection between the MP3 player and the home audiovisual system.
Bluetooth is designed to enable a plurality of Bluetooth devices to operate in a personal area network (PAN) environment. The plurality of Bluetooth devices in an environment may comprise a network known as a piconet. Within the approximately 10 meter range of Bluetooth technology a plurality of piconets may exist. Thus, Bluetooth technology may enable a plurality of piconets to coexisting within a home environment. For example, a first piconet may comprise computer equipment in a home environment, a second piconet may comprise audiovisual equipment in a home environment, a third piconet may comprise appliances in the home environment such as air conditioners, ovens, and lighting, and so forth.
Bluetooth devices communicate by utilizing frequency hopping spread spectrum (FHSS) techniques. FHSS enables data, represented as a sequence of packets, to be transmitted in such manner that the portion of data contained each packet is modulated by a frequency carrier selected from a group of available channels within the 2.4 GHz Bluetooth frequency spectrum. The ordered sequence in which channels are selected is referred to as a frequency hop sequence. Bluetooth devices in a piconet share a common frequency hop sequence. A primary Bluetooth device, serving in a supervisory role in the piconet, establishes the common frequency hop sequence to be utilized within the piconet. Auxiliary Bluetooth devices, serving in subordinate roles in the piconet, utilize the common frequency hope sequence established by the primary Bluetooth device.
For a given Bluetooth device, the integrity of data transmitted in signals may be comprised if the data is transmitted via a channel that is current being utilized. For example, a given channel may be utilized by another Bluetooth device. In addition, wireless local area network (WLAN) stations also use the 2.4 GHz frequency spectrum. From the perspective of a specific Bluetooth device that is currently transmitting data via a specific channel, other Bluetooth devices, and WLAN stations that are currently transmitting data via the same channel are referred to as “interferers”.
Further limitations and disadvantages of conventional and traditional approaches will become apparent to one of skill in the art, through comparison of such systems with some aspects of the present invention as set forth in the remainder of the present application with reference to the drawings.